4r W
The Conservative * 3
STATE INSTITU-
TIONS. casions
SERVATIVB has
urged the practicability of taking
oar state institutions out of poli
tics and placing them under the control
of a state board and , to accomplish this ,
advocated the enactment of the neces
sary legislation at the next session of the
legislature. It is gratifying to note that
this suggestion is being favorably re
ceived by the press of the state. The
many scandals in state institutions dur
ing the last year have been an object
lesson to a great many people and have
convinced them that a business-like and
efficient administration is impossible
until we have a system that will insure
the appointment of honest and capable
men as managers or superintendents.
By placing the Blind Institute under the
control of a state board , removed as far
as possible from politics , it would tend
to prevent a change of management and
teaching force with every political
change in the state. As long as the
present system of political rewards pre
vails it will be impossible to secure good
men to manage or assist in state institu
tions because of the lack of permanency
of the employment. The members elect
of the legislature should seriously con
sider this question and give us some
wholesome legislation along this line.
The present treas-
AN OFFICIAL ,
GUARANTY.urer ° f fche COUnty
of Otoe is Charles
P. Lloyd. Some time since , after being
sworn into office for his second term , he
gave a bond guaranteeing indemnity to
the county from loss by any act of his.
On that bond are William Gress , W. O.
Lowrey , D. Mo Williams , F. Hashenberger ,
F.Smallfoot , F.Ganzel , Jacob Schneider ,
F. P. Heinke , John Neuhalfen , K. E.
Lloyd ( Lloyd's wife ) , W. Roloff , O. W.
Stahlhut , James McElhauey , J. Eeimer ,
Henry Wickhorst. This bond is in the
sum of one hundred thousand dollars.
No person upon the same qualified as to
any certain sum. When the commis
sioners meet , will they or will they not
have an accounting of the funds and the
usual settlement with the present in
cumbent ?
THE tATE SENATOR DAVIS.
The late Senator Davis will be long
remembered as a notable instance of a
man in public life who never stooped to
the tricks of the demagogue. He took
the position he believed to be right ,
whether it was "smart politics" or not.
This was brought out in his attitude
toward the Porto Rioan tariff bill. His
advice had been instrumental in in
ducing the president to write his "plain
duty" message to congress. Later ,
when the protectionist interests forced
the republican party to levy a tariff on
Porto Rican products , Senator Davis
fought the measure , and was one of the
few republican senators who voted
against it. Again , a few years ago ,
during the railroad strike in the North
west , Senator Davis sent a long letter tea
a labor leader , telling why he could not
support a resolution in behalf of the
strikers in the senate. It is men of this
stamp , with the courage of their con
victions , who are most needed in a re
public. By the death of Senator Davis
the country loses one of the too few
public men of great ability and indepen
dent character. Kansas City Star.
PROTECTION OF FORESTS.
The decision of a federal judge that
the act authorizing the secretary of the
interior to make regulations for the pro
tection of forest reserves is unconstitu
tional , because , in effect , it delegates
legislative power to an administrative
officer , may be good law , but it outrages
common sense and is mischievous in its
consequences. It throws the forest re
serves open to the sheep men and defeats
the very purpose for which the reserves
were made. Unless regulations for the
protection of forests can be enforced ,
the water saving capacity of the
reserves will be destroyed , and calamity
will surely come to the agricultural
regions adjacent. If the decision stands ,
Congress must legislate directly and
adequately for the preservation of the
forests , and do it promptly. Philadel
phia North American.
THE SHIP SUBSIDY STEAL.
When it is considered that the pur
pose of this scheme is to give annually
as a free gift to the comparatively few
ship-builders and shipowners the great
sum of $9,000,000 , or in thirty years the
enormous sum of $270,000,000 , all which
the people must contribute in the form
of taxes , it will be perceived that it is a
measure of more than ordinary import
ance.
American coal can now be shipped
abroad and sold at a profit at a lower
price than the English article sells for.
Indeed , large quantities of American
coal have been already shipped abroad
and fair profits realized upon them.
Yet there have been and there are no
millions taken from the public treasury
to insure these profits to the shippers of
coal. Why should there be any ? Why
should the whole body of the people be
taxed $9,000,000 a year for thirty years ,
or for -a single year , to increase the
already fair profit of persons engaged in
a private enterprise ? The shippers of corn ,
wheat , flour , cotton , tobacco , meat , iron
and steel , or of a hundred other commod
ities get no subsidies ; they have asked
for none. Why then should the govern
ment virtually build and sail ships in
order that the profits of the Pittsburg
Coal Company , which has a capital of
$64,000,000 , shall be enhanced by sub
sidies to be paid out of the publio treas
ury or out of the pockets of the people ?
Philadelphia Ledger ( Rep. )
THE IMPROVED SANTA FE.
A party of Boston gentlemen recently
went over the Atohison property on a
tour of inspection. A member of the
party said : 1
"The company's equipment shows a
great improvement. I was especially
pleased with its new engines , which are
of the heaviest type.
"The company's business is simply
enormous. Every siding contains loaded
freight cars , most of them having two
engines. Its freight trains are so long
that they have to see saw in and out in
order to let the passenger trains pass.
The passenger traffic is very heavy and
all the trans-continental trains are run
ning in two sections.
"I was struck with the great interest
in the property shown by the employees.
In Messrs. Ripley , Morton and Barr ,
Atohison stockholders have a trium
virate I believe to be unexcelled in prac
tical railroad management.
"Great attention is being paid to the
encouragement of industries along the
line of the road , and this accounts in a
measure for the diversified character of
the road's traffic.
"Atchison has a bonanza in the Grand
Canyon. A small road connects the
Atohison with the Canyon , but it is in
bad financial shape and it will undoubt
edly be taken over by the Atohison.
"I believe the Atohison will make of
the Grand Canyon a rival attraction to
Niagara Falls and that it will secure a
very large tourist business in cense
quence. Stockholder.
WORST ON RECORD.
The following are the popular plurali
ties given for presidential candidates in
ten presidential elections :
1900 McKinley 812.725
1896 McKinley 602,555
1892 Cleveland 880,961
1888 Harrison 100.476
1884 Cleveland 28,005
1880 Garfield 9,464
1876 Tilden ' . 264.292
1872 Grant 768.007
1868 Grant 808,584
1864 Lincoln 411,448
It thus appears , with respect to the
popular vote , that Bryan is the worst
beaten candidate who has appeared be
fore the American people in more than
a generation. In fact the pluralities
against him are larger than against any
presidential candidate since the organi
zation of the government. The nearest
approach was when Greeley went down
before Grant ; but then , it should be re
membered , test laws disfranchised
thousands of democratic voters in the
south. Grant carrying Virginia , both
the Oarolinas , Florida , Alabama , Mis
sissippi , Louisiana and Arkansas. Mr.
Bryan is much worse beaten than
Greeley , for unquestionably in the south
as in 1872 Greeley votes were suppressed
so this year MoKinley votes were sup
pressed. Das Moines Leader and Demo
crat.
